SetDecisiveFinal
by TessieBird
Summary: one shot. "Don't do this honey..." Jacob/Bella


"I'll go."

Set…decisive…final.

His breath caught in his throat at the finality of her words. He _knew_ there was nothing he could do to change her mind…he knew, but he loved her too much not to try. He loved her too much to let her go without trying something, _anything_ to make her see that if she left Forks…if she left Charlie and her friends…if she left _him_ to chase after the man who left her first, she would die. Hell, he would die, too. Maybe not physically, but his heart would be a goner. Lightning danced across the sky outside, illuminating her frank and darling face, eyes sparkling with unshed tears, but trained solely on him. Somewhere in the background he could hear Alice frantically packing a bag and he knew she could too…but Alice just didn't matter now. A crash of thunder sounded so close to the house that the windows rattled, but her eyes never left his. It was now or never.

"Bella…."

His voice was shaky, he noted, but there was no point holding it back anymore. If he was going to convince her, he had to show her everything he was feeling, regardless of if she wanted to hear it or not…it was selfish…but is was all he had.

"Bells…"

And suddenly she was in his arms, the force of her body crashing against his making him stumble but he held on. Her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck, right cheek pressed against his left, tears falling softly into the thin material of his shirt, quiet sobs making her tremble all over. He pulled her into himself as closely as he possibly could, one hand wrapped around her back, the other thrust unconsciously into her hair pressing her closer still, until there was no room left between them. He held on for dear life, for hers and for his. He wouldn't, _couldn't_ have let go of her for anything in the entire world…not for one more chance to see his mother, not for the chance to be a normal man again, not for anything. This was how it was supposed to be…this was _always_ how it was supposed to be.

Gradually, her sobs quieted but her trembling remained. Slowly she drew in an unsteady breath and exhaled, her voice small in his ear.

"I can't Jake.."

His heart buoyed. Quickly he held her at arms length, searching her face, wiping away the hot tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. He held her face between his warm hands and, in a rushed voice, whispered,

"You don't have to Bells! You have a choice. You don't have to do this. You…you don't have to leave."

He watched as tears filled her eyes again and slowly slipped down her cheeks. She brought her hand up to rest on his and leaned her cheek into his touch, her eyes softly closing as if she was saving this moment in her memories. His heart plummeted to his stomach…

"No, Jake. I cant let him die."

Set…decisive…final.

Anger flashed red in front of his vision. A tremor ran down his back and his hands began to shake. _Calm down_ he told himself over and over again, dropping his hands from her face, already missing her cool skin soothing his. He ran a hand through his dark hair, closed his eyes, took a deep breath and slowly began to back away from the girl he loved more than his own life…the girl who was constantly breaking him…the girl he would never stop loving no matter what she did.

But when he opened his eyes again, he was met with her panic.

"Jake, please. Please, try to understand…he…"

The rage boiled again. It took him two bounding steps to stand in front of her.

"He left you, Bella! He left you! Do you even realize that?"

"I know…but…"

"But what? What, Bella? Why are you still defending him?

"He thinks I'm dead, Jacob! I can't just let him die! I have to do something!"

"My god, Bells! Do you want me to beg you? Fine!" He caught her hands between his own and peered down into her face.

"Please…just stay, honey. Just stay. Stay with me, Bells, I'm begging you." His voice broke with emotion.

She shook her head sadly and pulled her hands from his.

"It's not that simple."

The anger was seeping from his body as the futility of the situation began setting in. He hardly ever got emotional and was surprised to feel hot tears prickling at the corner of his eyes. He turned his face to meet hers again. Her hands were wrapped around her body, her face was blotchy from crying and she wouldn't meet his gaze. _God he loved her_. Gently, he brought her face up to meet his, trying to communicate every feeling he had ever had about her with his eyes. He was completely open and vulnerable, desperate to make her see how much he cared for her, how much he needed her to be ok so he could be ok, and how desperately he wanted her to choose him.

"Don't do this, honey", he whispered.

Everything was quiet inside the house. They could still hear the wind and the rain and the thunder outside but their silence lasted.

"Don't do this," he pleaded again, barely audible.

Something shifted in her eyes.

Set…decisive…final.

'Bella, are you ready?" Alice's voice sounded from the stairs. She glanced over at the vampire, returned her gaze back to him, kissed the palm of his hand, and followed Alice out the door. He stood in stunned silence as a slow, familiar pain began to consume him. She had chosen the vampire over him again…but this time there was no going back. He stood there in her house until he heard the sound of a car engine starting through the driving storm. She was gone. Slowly…painfully, he walked to the front door of her house, opened it, and stepped out onto her porch. But his breath caught somewhere in his throat as he squinted through the rain…

_Bella._

He raced down the porch steps, not caring that he would be soaking wet in seconds. She turned around suddenly and he stopped. Her hair clung damply to her face and her wet clothes hung limply from her frame, but there was something in her eyes….

"I didn't do it", she yelled, her voice catching in a sob. "I couldn't, Ja…"

And he was at her side, her face caught between his hands as he stared into her eyes, drinking in the sight of her like a man dying of thirst. He gently tucked a strand of wet hair behind her ear and slowly and lovingly drew her into his arms. Her hands wrapped tightly around his waist, her face buried against his chest as he held her. He was selfish, yes, and refused to give up, but she was here right where she belonged. She had stayed with him.

Slowly, she pulled back from his embrace, her beautiful smile lighting up his night.

"Thank you", she said.

He lowered his forehead to rest against hers, his arms wrapping completely around her body, drawing her to him.

"Anytime", he said with a smile before capturing her mouth with his own. And as the rain continued to drive down around them, they finally knew that this was where they both belonged…with each other.

Set…decisive…final.

Fin


End file.
